Blepharis inermis C.B.Clarke

Dense dwarf shrub to 20 cm tall; young branches brownish, minutely puberulous or sparsely so with bulbous-based hairs with a fine point. Leaves fleshy, subglabrous to sparsely minutely puberulous with hairs as on stems; lamina elliptic to obovate or narrowly so, largest seen 1.5-2.7 x 0.3-0.9 cm; margin with 1-4 teeth per side or some entire; some leaf-axils with rigid spines (undeveloped inflorescences). Spikes 1.5-3 cm long, 2-4-flowered; peduncle 3-5 mm long; sterile bracts modified into 3-4 pairs of rigid spines 7-30 mm long, upper pairs with a reduced lamina, lower without, no lateral teeth; fertile bracts whitish, glossy, 5-7-veined from base with conspicuous transverse veins, glabrous or with scattered hairs as on stems and leaves, lower and middle ovate to elliptic, 12-22 x 3-7 mm of which the straight pungent tip 3-6 mm, entire (rarely some with a single tooth per side c. 1 mm long); bracteoles 11-18 mm long, linear. Sepals finely sparsely puberulous; dorsal 14-19 mm long, 5-veined from base, ovate elliptic with short to long ligulate apical part which sometimes narrows gradually to a rounded apex without or with a small mucro to 0.5 mm long; ventral 13-16 mm long, 5-7-veined from base (3 strong), ovate-elliptic, slightly ligulate or narrowing gradually to an apex with 2 triangular and mucronate teeth 2-2.5 mm long; lateral ovate, 7-9 mm long. Corolla white, 23-25 mm long of which the tube 4-5 mm; limb spathulate, 10-13 mm wide, lateral lobes well-developed, central lobe wider than long, retuse, constricted at base; filaments 7-8 mm long, glabrous or hairy towards apex, glabrous or hairy towards base; appendage 2-3 mm long, oblong, sometimes twisted; anthers 3-4 mm long. Capsule ± 9 mm long; seed ± 5 x 4 mm.